Towards an Industry-Responsive Instructional Framework in Automotive Technology Education: A Systematic Review of OJT Challenges and Opportunities Via the I-Cope Model

Higher education institutions are heavily mandated to bridge the gap between academic innovation and grassroots development through structured training tracks. In technical-vocational automotive technology education, executing appropriate instructional frameworks is critical to facilitate electronic skill transmission and ensure career readiness. However, traditional training resources are frequently plagued by severe equipment scarcity, outdated mechanical hardware, and an reliance on text-dense manuals, causing heightened cognitive load and lower retention among student-trainees. This study implements a rigorous Systematic Literature Review (SLR) conforming to the PRISMA statement parameters to critically evaluate the pedagogical configurations, structural design challenges, and immersive workplace dynamics within automotive training tracks. By executing an explicit search protocol across databases including Scopus, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and PhilJOL for literature published between 2020 and 2026, a curated matrix of peer-reviewed empirical research, national competency frameworks, and institutional audits was isolated. To systematically code and extract structural insights from this literature base, a novel analytical framework called the I-COPE Model (Industry, Challenges, Opportunities, and Pedagogical Evaluation) is proposed and deployed. The thematic synthesis indicates that developing a sustainable automotive workforce requires a multi-phase architecture: aligning on-campus simulators with hyper-automated vehicle diagnostics, leveraging On-the-Job Training (OJT) placements as a transformative pedagogical bridge to offset institutional deficits, and structuring industry-academic collaborations to build tool self-efficacy. Ultimately, this review offers curriculum designers a definitive roadmap to establish an Industry-Responsive Instructional Framework that aligns regional training spaces with modern industrial standards.

Automotive Technology Education, Industry-Responsive Framework, On-the-Job Training, PRISMA Framework, Systematic Literature Review

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